Help! I'm lost

[javamoma]

I'm an avid WDW fan and an avid camper. I started doing both long before my birthday hit the double digits. But, I have never combined the two. Strange, I know. It really never occured to me till someone mentioned it over on the budget board. Now I am intrigued and I have a million questions!

First of all, we are tent campers. With that said, we have the option of flying or driving. Do you guys fly with camping gear? Does that work well? I live in texas so with gas budget in mind, it would be cheaper for the 3 of us to fly. I think.

Can you get free dining by booking a camp site?

I really have a million other questions but I know I get better answers if I don't as 10 questions in one post!

Thanks for the help. This looks like a fun board with a fun group of people!

 

[2goofycampers]

welcome to this side of the Dis. you can fly your gear but with the new luggage rules it would be mighty tuff, or you could ship your gear to the Fort. Unfortunately no free dining at the sites, cabins only.

 

[Tent Camping Mom]

I know the feeling. We had many WDW trips under our belt and many camping trips before we ever thought of putting the two together.

Carol will be able to help you with tenting and flying. She's done it many times.
She's been here long before me and I have learned a lot from her.

Go ahead, ask away.

 

[LONE-STAR]

I grew up the only place we camped was FW when we went to WDW.

Oh welcome.

 

[WeCampDisney]

Hello Javamoma! Personally, I don't mind the drive down from East Texas, kind of exciting. I think you might find it slightly cheaper to drive, depending on what you drive. When I tent camp I like having lots of stuff to make it comfy and easy. I would drive so i can bring the kitchen sink if i want to. Plus its so easy to get around, I like to drive instead of using the buses, its usually quicker getting around.And you can store your valuables in your car. Either way you go, you are going to love Fort wilderness!

 

[lauralana9]

Hi, next months trip will be our second camping and flying. First time was not at FW but was a 9 day road trip out west. I brought WAY too much stuff last time. Packed 2 HUGE suitcases a cooler (that was full of clothes) and a giant duffel. Plus we each had a small duffel to carry on and our day packs. Never even used most of it. I packed 10 changes of clothes each, found we kept washing and wearing the same stuff over and over. Plus we went into the High desert in June, temps would still go below freezing at night, there were several heavy blankets. We have a 2 week trip planned later this year, I will have to seriously rethink my list.

When we go to FW next month we will not be bringing all that much. We are only going to be there for 4 days, so I am leaving my kitchen home completely. That will knock out one of the big suitcases. With that little bit of time we will be eating mostly in the parks. I am still bringing the cooler for milk, lunch meat, you know quick and easy. The only thing I have not decided on is the screen tent. Its rather heavy, I might ship it UPS. I'm thinking it would be worth the trouble to have it there. If you PM me your email I can send you the checklist I used for last years road trip, have not started on the one for FW yet.

Bean

 

[tim5055]

I really have a million other questions but I know I get better answers if I don't as 10 questions in one post!

Thanks for the help. This looks like a fun board with a fun group of people!

Check out my Fort Wilderness web page (link in signature).

It contains lots of information from both my trips and the most commonly asked questions here on the board.

 

[javamoma]

Hello Javamoma! Personally, I don't mind the drive down from East Texas, kind of exciting. I think you might find it slightly cheaper to drive, depending on what you drive. When I tent camp I like having lots of stuff to make it comfy and easy. I would drive so i can bring the kitchen sink if i want to. Plus its so easy to get around, I like to drive instead of using the buses, its usually quicker getting around.And you can store your valuables in your car. Either way you go, you are going to love Fort wilderness!

We are in East Texas too! Marshall, actually. How long does it take these days to drive to WDW? Last time we drove I was little and it took 2 days. I think the speed limits have increased since then. I like all my "stuff" too while camping. It seems like it would be tough to fly with it all.

Thanks for the welcome everyone, I knew y'all looked like a fun group!

 

[javamoma]

Oh, I thought of another question. Can you get in during Extra Magic Hours if you are a FW guest?

Are the bathrooms and showers nice at the campgrounds?

I will check out the FW link you posted too. Thanks!

 

[VACAMPER]

Comfort stations are really nice and clean. Yes, you can get in for EMH. FW is a complete disney resort. You get the same benefits as other resort guests.

 

[WeCampDisney]

Cool Javamoma, we are practically neighbors! We live in Kilgore. For ya'll unfamiliar with our area, Marshall and Kilgore are both just off I 20 about 45 min apart. I prefer to stay on the interstate highways all the way, towing our TT. I go to Shreveport, then south on I 49, then east on I 10, then south on I 75. It takes us about 20 hours plus the hour lost per time zone. We stop several times and drive about 60 mph. We drive it all the way now, my new son-in-law helps me drive, and we just can't wait to get there! This year we will leave Kilgore on friday at 6:00 pm, arriving at the Fort in mid afternoon sat. My uncle, also in Kilgore, drives a car about 73 mph, he only stops one time for gas and he can make the trip in 15 hours or so. He is single and drives a Honda Civic hybrid, gets about 48 mpg on the highway. I am learning that there are several folks on this board in the north and east Texas area. One guy in Mesquite, and a guy in Tyler, and some others. I am excited for you to be planning your first camping trip to our little paradise! One of best things about it is taking the free boat ride from the Fort marina over to the MK, its so much more fun and relaxing than a bus or car. We take the boat, but we drive to the other parks, taking our dogs to the kennals. Have you seen the thread for campsite pictures? Folks have some great pics there. One more quick important thing, I hope you have a golf cart reserved for your stay. It is really fun and convenient. Most people do the carts.

 

[clkelley]

With 1 checked bag per person on most carriers, it's tough but possible.

Southwest still allows 2 checked bags per person, so if you can fly SW, do it.

Ya'll sound like experienced tent campers, so I won't go into everything, but there a few things to bring that are Fort Wilderness specific.

Bring some thin plastic sheeting (painters plastic) to put under your ground cloth, then just ditch it before packing up. It will keep everything cleaner.

Bring at least a 40 ft outdoor extension cord and a power strip for any electrical needs.

As far as what to pack in, I would pick up at least one plastic locking footlocker. They have them in Wal-Mart in the automotive section. It's called a "trunk locker". That way you have a place to lock some stuff up.

I never cooked at the Fort when tent camping, just too much work. Also, unless there is a way you can bring an electric cooler or mini fridge, it's just too expensive to keep things cold. Ice is $2.50 a bag, and it's not hard frozen, so melts quickly.

As a previous poster stated, only bring a few days worth of clothes.

 

[javamoma]

Cool Javamoma, we are practically neighbors! We live in Kilgore. For ya'll unfamiliar with our area, Marshall and Kilgore are both just off I 20 about 45 min apart. I prefer to stay on the interstate highways all the way, towing our TT. I go to Shreveport, then south on I 49, then east on I 10, then south on I 75. It takes us about 20 hours plus the hour lost per time zone. We stop several times and drive about 60 mph. We drive it all the way now, my new son-in-law helps me drive, and we just can't wait to get there! This year we will leave Kilgore on friday at 6:00 pm, arriving at the Fort in mid afternoon sat. My uncle, also in Kilgore, drives a car about 73 mph, he only stops one time for gas and he can make the trip in 15 hours or so. He is single and drives a Honda Civic hybrid, gets about 48 mpg on the highway. I am learning that there are several folks on this board in the north and east Texas area. One guy in Mesquite, and a guy in Tyler, and some others. I am excited for you to be planning your first camping trip to our little paradise! One of best things about it is taking the free boat ride from the Fort marina over to the MK, its so much more fun and relaxing than a bus or car. We take the boat, but we drive to the other parks, taking our dogs to the kennals. Have you seen the thread for campsite pictures? Folks have some great pics there. One more quick important thing, I hope you have a golf cart reserved for your stay. It is really fun and convenient. Most people do the carts.

Hey, we have some friends in Kilgore. We are neighbors!
15 hours of driving would not be bad at all. We do a trip similar to that length to Aspen every year. The boat ride sounds really cool too. About how long does it take?

With 1 checked bag per person on most carriers, it's tough but possible.

Southwest still allows 2 checked bags per person, so if you can fly SW, do it.

Ya'll sound like experienced tent campers, so I won't go into everything, but there a few things to bring that are Fort Wilderness specific.

Bring some thin plastic sheeting (painters plastic) to put under your ground cloth, then just ditch it before packing up. It will keep everything cleaner.

Bring at least a 40 ft outdoor extension cord and a power strip for any electrical needs.

As far as what to pack in, I would pick up at least one plastic locking footlocker. They have them in Wal-Mart in the automotive section. It's called a "trunk locker". That way you have a place to lock some stuff up.

I never cooked at the Fort when tent camping, just too much work. Also, unless there is a way you can bring an electric cooler or mini fridge, it's just too expensive to keep things cold. Ice is $2.50 a bag, and it's not hard frozen, so melts quickly.

As a previous poster stated, only bring a few days worth of clothes.

So, you are the one they told me about that knows the ins and outs of flying and camping. Your suggestions lead me to another question that has probably already been discussed on this board a bunch but since I am a newbie bear with me.

We usually stay off property at a condo to save money and prepare most of our meals ourselves. If it is too difficult to do this at the campsite, does it really save money to camp? We do love the camping experience so, it's not all about saving money for us but it is an incentive.

Do you do the DDP? I can understand the ice chest difficulty.

Oh, and is there a place to do laundry near-by?

Thanks for all the replies. This is very helpful! We are considering going in March for DD's b-day. That should be a great time to camp out.

 

[clkelley]

So, you are the one they told me about that knows the ins and outs of flying and camping. Your suggestions lead me to another question that has probably already been discussed on this board a bunch but since I am a newbie bear with me.

We usually stay off property at a condo to save money and prepare most of our meals ourselves. If it is too difficult to do this at the campsite, does it really save money to camp? We do love the camping experience so, it's not all about saving money for us but it is an incentive.

Do you do the DDP? I can understand the ice chest difficulty.

Oh, and is there a place to do laundry near-by?

Thanks for all the replies. This is very helpful! We are considering going in March for DD's b-day. That should be a great time to camp out.

Like, I said, alot depends on if you fly and camp, or drive in. If you drive, then by all means, bring the kitchen and go for it!!!

Since there are 3 of you, if you fly SW, then that is 6 50 lb checked items, 3 carryons, and 3 personal items, then it's probably possible. If you are flying a carrier that charges for a 2nd bag, then consider if the $30.00 - $75.00 extra is worth it to bring what you need to cook.

Basically, you just need to lay out all your gear and see how it will pack, and see if it's worth it to you.

I don't do the dining plan cause the way we like to eat, it's just not a good value for us. We have annual passes, and get the Dining Experience Card for 20% off sit down.

There is a laundry room in each comfort station in between the men's and women's rooms. I find it very convenient to drop a load in the washer before heading to the shower, then when I get out of the shower, put the clothes in the dryer, then go to the campsite for a bit and check email, etc, then go get my dry clothes.

 

[Millermouseketeers]

We always drive from Texas. It is not a bad drive.It depends on our stops and how long we sleep at a rest stop in Florida before getting to Orlando. It takes us about 18-19 hours. We live outside of Dallas. Have fun!

 

[lauralana9]

Carol thanks for the tips, I was planning on bringing a power strip but never thought about an extension cord. Plastic sheet is a wonderful idea but I have a question, we are taking our big tent that has a tarp bottom. Normally I do use a ground cloth, I have heard the fort has sand for tent pads. Should I even bother taking it? Are there any pokey things in the sand? The tent is 10' x 17' so the extra tarps do add a bit of weight and takes up space.

And more importantly do they have sites that will accommodate tents this size? And a screen tent to go over the picnic table? I never thought about it till now. This will only be the second outing for this tent, it was bought specifically to take to Florida. My regular tent is 8'x'8, perfect for when we go to the desert because its easier to keep warm when the temp drops at night. I thought the large tent with a box fan would be way more comfortable in June.

As for the cooler I am thinking about freezing 2 gallon jugs of water and taking them down in the cooler, we have a short flight and each will only add about 8lbs. We will pick up more on the way to the park when we stop for food and snacks. Or even better, is block ice easy to find in the area? Its quite easy to find in the southwest but up here in the Philadelphia area no one has even heard of it. I make my own using those plastic shoeboxes :

I will defiantly look into the footlockers. They wont give me a problem checking them at the airport? The only thing I'm worried about is the laptop if anyone wants my dirty clothes they are welcome to them

 

[des1954]

I can only address your block ice question - and do they sell it in Florida/Orlando area/FtW. I live in the area and have never seen block ice in this region. Maybe someone else has, but I haven't. Sorry.

 

[clkelley]

I have no idea about the block ice either.

However, as far as the ground tarp, what I use for my ground cloth is 6 mil plastic that comes in a large roll in the painting section. I cut two sheets, one for under the tent, and one for inside. No there are no poky things in the tent pads, but it's to help with water seeping in the tent floor. That is much lighter weight than tarps and can be custom cut. Then at the Fort, the really lightweight plastic goes underneath everything, and that is ditched.

Loop 2000 will definitely have sites that will accomodate your stuff. They have larger sand pads and are well suited for tent camping. Loop 1500 is the other partial hookup loop and while centrally located, the sand pad sizes are smaller. There is one in particular, 1506 that is really small with a tree in a weird place.

It sounds like you are renting a car when you get there??

Yep, no problem with the footlockers, they are airline legal. Just don't lock them for the flight. I added straps to mine to help keep them closed. (I actually drilled a couple of holes to the sides of the footlocker and secured the straps to the footlocker with nuts, bolts, and the big washers)

 

[javamoma]

How do you keep the lockers from been carried off? Do you lock them up in your car?

 

[clkelley]

How do you keep the lockers from been carried off? Do you lock them up in your car?

Well, since I didn't have a car with me (used Magical Express), I had a long cable, basically a dog cable, I locked it to the handle of the footlocker, then ran the cable out a vent in the tent and locked the cable to a tree.